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Anger twists her face once more as she barrels towards me, only to skid to a stop as Star snarls and snaps at her. “I was getting away with it, but the goddess had to start meddling and sendyouto cause problems, using my own best friend against me.”
I might not have known the woman, but from what I’ve learned of her, I know one thing for certain. “My mother would have been disgusted with you.”
Pain flashes across her face, and she sucks in a sharp breath as though I just burnt her. She quickly masks her hurt though, her eyes narrowing on me. “Maybe it’s time you’re reunited with her.” Glancing over her shoulder, she seems to look for something. No, not something, someone. “Ivar, kill her.”
A dark figure appears behind her, and with trepidation, he steps around the queen. I didn’t even notice that Ivar was here, his shadows helping him blend in and hide until she needed him. Honestly, I’d completely forgotten about him, which was a stupid mistake on my part, one that might cost me my life. An old conversation comes back to me where he told me we could be friends, but he would never stop serving the queen. While I’ve seen him flourish since we’ve become friendly, he has stuck strong by the queen’s side despite all he’s seen.
Even now, regret clouds his face, and he looks like he’s in physical pain as he moves towards me, each step robotic as he fights whatever control she has over him. Star has never liked the shadowy male, and even now, his presence has her backing away, her tail between her legs.
“I am sorry, Laelia. I hoped it would never come to this.” He seems genuinely upset, and I hate that she’s doing this to him.
“Then don’t, say no. I’ve seen how she treats you. Make a stand and forge a new life for yourself.”
His black eyes seem to glimmer, regret and sadness etched into his face. “I wish I could, but for a shadow like me, I have no business being in a world of light.”
A ball of shadows begins to form within his hands, the darkness twisting and pulsing, growing larger and larger until it completely surrounds him. I back away as he raises his hands, throwing the shadows towards me, and I only just have time to throw up my own shield of starlight.
“Where there is light, there will always be shadows,” I tell him, needing him to understand that despite what he thinks, hedoeshave a choice. “You don’t have to do this, Ivar. There is a space for you within my world.”
He doesn’t reply, but I feel his shadows fluctuate, knowing he’s heard me. He doesn’t stop though. In response, I pour more and more magic into the shield until my stars glow so brightly that those around me have to shield their eyes.
End this now,I tell myself, my thoughts becoming dark as I reach into the murky pit of my power. My eyes flick over the platform, taking in the situation around us as more and more magic floods through me. My mates are still fighting the remaining councilmen, something that creates anger within me. How dare they attack my mates? How dare they attackme? With a wave of my hand, I send out a shower of stars, and the council are incinerated where they stand. Twisting, I look down at the arena below us and pick out those fighting against us. Sending my magic towards them, I do the same, and they are incinerated. I feel nothing but satisfaction as those lives blink out with a simple thought.
Something inside me twinges. Shoving it aside, I continue to pick out the guards who hurt our people,mypeople. The twinge happens again, stronger this time, and the more I try to ignore it, the stronger it becomes. I’m still holding off Ivar’s shadows, and I’m so deep into my power now that taking the lives of those below is as simple as breathing. The twinge becomes a pull, and then like a punch, making me double over.
Catching my breath, I blink rapidly, and my thoughts seem to come back to me. What am I doing? This isn’t me, and those people certainly aren’tmine. This power tries to consume me, twisting and changing my thoughts, making me believe that I’m better than them. If I allow it to take over, then I’m no better than the queen who’s watching on with wide eyes.
Standing upright, I take several deep breaths, my mind scurrying to find a way to disable Ivar without killing him. Thankfully, I don’t need to think too hard, as Ivar’s barrage of shadows suddenly stops.
“Goddess,” Ivar whispers with awe, falling to his knees, his eyes wide as he sees something about me he’s never seen before. Something appears to change in him before my very eyes, and although I can’t put my finger onwhatit is that’s different, I know he’ll never try to harm me again, his link with the queen broken.
My relief is short-lived as the queen screeches with rage, her final weapon taken from her. She thought Ivar would always protect her, yet I’ve managed to convert him, shattering the connection between them.
“No!” In a frenzy of rage, she bares her teeth and throws her magic at me. She tries to destroy me, using every spell she knows, but I have the full power of a goddess at my disposal, and with my shield of stars being impenetrable, her attacks are merely an annoyance. Screaming in frustration, she becomes completely unrecognisable as she gives into her fury. “You’ve taken everything from me, and now I’m going to take everything from you.”
She glances over to where Syn sits in wolf form, watching us closely. She’s going to kill him. That certainty fills me and clouds my mind with righteous anger. Extending my shield to protect both Atlas and Syn, I turn the full force of my power onto her. With a powerful blast of magic, I fling her back, watching with cold amusement as her body hits the wall, a cry of pain escaping her.
The control I managed to steal back is destroyed in an instant, wrath taking over my mind. Before, I would have made sure she had a quick death, but after trying to kill my mates, she doesn’t deserve it.
I’m going to obliterate her.
Trying to struggle to her feet, the queen stumbles, only to fall back to the ground as I shoot stars towards her. She cries out in pain, the magic burning her skin, yet not enough to actually kill her. We go through this little cycle repeatedly, the queen too stubborn to stop. A small, cruel smile appears on my lips, and it takes a moment for me to realise that someone is talking to me.
“Laelia.”
It’s one of my mates, our bond pulling in my chest. Giving into the feeling, I glance to the side and see Joel standing in the doorway. “Stop. I agree that she needs to die, but this isn’t the way to do it.” With a hesitation I’m not used to seeing from him, Joel raises his hands and slowly walks towards me. He seems like he’s expecting me to lash out, but I’d never hurt my mates. When he gets within touching distance, he pauses. “Don’t lose yourself to the magic,” he whispers quietly.
“We love you, mate, come back to us.” Hearing Nicolai’s voice, I look over Joel’s shoulder to see all of my mates are now here, filling the doorway of the platform.
They are right. Gasping, I look down at my hands as though I don’t recognise them. What am I doing? This power is toxic. Even as I try to push it away and reject that part of myself, I feel it fighting back, seductively calling to me.
“Sister.”
Hearing Kano’s voice brings me back. Tears sting my eyes as I spin around, desperate to see him for myself. My mates step to one side, allowing my brother to step onto the platform. I leap forward and wrap my arms around him, trying to hold myself together and not give into my overwhelming emotions. He returns the gesture, and we hold onto each other, momentarily forgetting the battle going on around us.
“How touching,” the queen sneers, her voice a slur. Now that she’s not being pounded with magic, she looks up at us with hatred. “Oh, Kano. What a disappointment you are. Not only did you not have your family’s power, you now turn on your lover. Have you no loyalty?”
Kano stiffens in my arms at her insults, and my first instinct is to jump in and defend him, but I hold back, knowing he needs to do this for himself. Gently unwrapping himself from my embrace, he cups my cheek and smiles softly. Then, with a deep breath, he stands up to his full height, his expression shifting as he turns to face the queen.
